


Murder By Wolf

by TMar



Category: Forever Knight
Genre: Gen, Vampires, Wolf Goddess Challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-10
Updated: 2018-11-10
Packaged: 2019-08-21 15:42:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16579400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TMar/pseuds/TMar
Summary: Nick must pretend to be a vampire in order to meet a "wolf goddess" who's a suspect in a few killings.





	Murder By Wolf

**Author's Note:**

> Posted this to FKFIC-L in 1996 in response to the list's Wolf Goddess challenge. It takes place during the second season.

MURDER BY WOLF

WOLF GODDESS SEEKS  
THOUGHTFUL VAMPIRE

SWF, 49, cerebral, hauntingly beautiful  
wolf goddess, seeks evolved, philosophical  
vampire muse for mutual worship,  
new sensory input and complicating the  
mundane.

Schanke and Cohen looked at Nick, who had gone, if it were possible,  
even paler than usual. "Well?" Schanke finally asked. "Are you gonna do  
it, Nick?"

Nick looked with desperation at Cohen. "Why me?" was all he could  
think of to ask.

Cohen merely rolled her eyes. "You're available, Detective. You're it."

Nick wasn't in the habit of answering personals. "What do I say?"

"Write something that would make this Wolf Goddess take note of you."

"I'll help!" said Schanke, a bit too eagerly.

"Captain, there's no proof that these 'wolf murders' were committed  
by this person. They could have been committed by someone who watched  
'An American Werewolf In London' a few times too many."

Cohen nodded. "True, but let's not take chances."

"Why a vampire?" Nick asked plaintively.

"Get out there and do your job, Detective," was all Cohen would say to that.

Outside at their desks, Nick snuck a glance at Schanke. His partner  
was grinning from ear to ear, obviously enjoying himself. Nick shuddered  
and sat down, picking up a pencil and notepad. He began to compose his  
response to the ad.

"Hey, Nick?"

"Yeah?" He *knew* Schank was going to offer advice, now.

"What are you telling her?"

"I'm trying to be mysterious, Schank."

Schanke leaned over and snagged the notepad. "Blah blah... ah, this  
is good. 'We can enjoy the beauty of the night.' Yeah. Hey, when you go  
to meet her, wear one of those capes."

"Assuming she wants to meet me, what capes?"

"Y'know, the red-lined ones, like in 'Dracula'."

"Why don't I wear fangs, too, Schank?"

"Great idea!" Schanke thought about this. "Nah, actually. That would  
be overdoing it a bit, don't you think?"

Nick merely closed his eyes and shook his head, grabbing the notepad  
back. But his partner wasn't finished. "Where are you gonna meet her?"

"The Raven."

Schanke's face took on a look of awe. "Perfect!"

Nick was surprised his partner would think so. "You think the Raven  
is perfect for a meeting with the Wolf Goddess?"

"Sure, it's a vampire bar, isn't it?"

Nick look up with alarm, but Schanke looked as nonchalant as ever.  
"Come on, Nick, you don't like me going there because you don't want me  
hanging out with all those weirdo types. But I know it's one of those  
places where people go and pretend to be vampires."

Nick tried not to smile and didn't succeed. "I guess it is."

***

A few days later, Nick arrived home to find a message on his machine  
from the so-called 'Wolf Goddess'. She wanted to meet him, and had even  
specified a time - at night, of course.

Nick called the station. "Captain? The Wolf Goddess wants to meet me  
\- 2 a.m. tonight at the Raven."

"Right. We'll get you wired beforehand. Oh, and Detective?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't try any of those tactics you use to impress me." Luckily Cohen  
couldn't see the face Nick made when she said it. "Just talk to the  
suspect and get what we need."

"Right."

Nick sighed. Not only did he have to go to the Raven (though it was  
the best place and he felt safe having chosen it), but he had to pretend  
(well, not pretend, er...) to be a vampire with half the precinct  
listening on the wire, probably. Great. It was going to be a long night.

***

As they fixed the wire, Nick cringed to see Schanke standing there  
smirking. "What is it, Schank?"

"I'd love to see you pull off this vampire thing."

That irked Nick a bit. "What do you mean, you think I can't?"

Schanke's smirk widened. "Well, Nick, let's face it, when someone  
looks at you, you can bet they don't go, 'Gee, that guy could be a  
vampire!' Aside from the blood in your refrigerator, there's nothing  
whatsoever that could make someone think..."

Nick shifted nervously, causing the man working with the wire to  
mumble, "Sorry."

"So you're saying I wouldn't make a good vampire, Schank?"

"No. Well, yeah."

For a fleeting second Nick considered showing Schanke his fangs, just  
to see that the reaction would be. This just made him smile, which made  
his partner think that Nick was agreeing with him.

"I don't think you'd do well with that whole undeath thing, y'know.  
Garlic, crosses, being burnt up by the sun..." Schanke trailed off,  
looking at Nick a bit more closely.

Nick knew now was time to change the subject. "Schank, if you try to  
connect my allergy with the vampire myth, I might really bite you." He  
tried to look menacing *without* showing his fangs. It was difficult, to  
say the least.

"Okay, okay," said Schanke, backing off. "Gee, I wish I got to play  
vampire."

"Why didn't you volunteer, then?!"

"Are you kidding? Myra would kill me!" He paused. "Are you sure you  
won't wear the cape?"

"Come on, Schank, do you really think a modern vampire would wear  
one of those capes?"

"Hmmm... maybe not. I still think you should have worn all black."

"Schank, give it a rest willya. I'll do fine."

"We can only hope," said Schanke, patting Nick's shoulder.

***

Nick sat at a table in the Raven, trying not to fidget. For once he  
*hadn't* gone to speak to Janette, which Janette found rather...  
suspicious, so she made her way over to him instead. "Nicolas?"

Nick looked up. "I'm on a case," he said, pointing to where the wire  
was located. "I'm meeting a suspect here, so make sure we're not  
disturbed, okay?"

"Very well, mon cher." Janette wandered away again, leaving Nick by  
himself.

Not for the first time, Nick wished he were someplace else. And what  
was he going to say to the suspect, anyway? Why a Wolf Goddess? Why a  
vampire? He almost slipped into a flashback, but at the last moment  
realised that the look induced by flashbacks might scare off the Wolf  
Goddess if she arrived while he was in the middle of one. Anyway, the  
flashback he'd been about to have really wasn't connected with the case  
he was on now.

"Are you my vampire?" came a very sexy female voice. Nick looked up  
to find a strikingly beautiful woman standing there, in a dress to rival  
anything that Janette had. But she wasn't a vampire. She had a  
heartbeat. Not to mention beautiful red-brown hair and amazing green  
eyes.

Nick stood up. "Yes."

"Great." Without waiting for him, she sat down, then pierced him with  
those amazing eyes. "Okay, ask."

"What?"

"Why a Wolf Goddess? Why a vampire? Didn't you want to ask that?"

Nick nodded. "Well, yeah."

"Do you think I'd have *any* excitement if I said, 'Female librarian  
seeks person who likes philosophy' or something?"

"I guess not."

"Well, now you know. And don't you *dare* tell me I don't look like a  
librarian. That's just a stereotype, you know."

Nick wished Schanke could see this woman. He could imagine Schanke  
asking her where she worked, and taking up reading all of a sudden!

"I suppose you're going to tell me I don't look like a vampire."

She grinned. "You don't, but..." She reached across and touched his  
cheek. "Looks aren't everything. You are a vampire, aren't you?"

"Sure. And so is Tom Cruise."

"Look, I didn't put that ad in the personals for nothing. Only a  
vampire can help me, and I want one I can trust."

Nick shrugged, hoping the people listening wouldn't get any ideas  
from what he was about to say. "Well, okay then, I'm a vampire."

***

"Gee, he's really doing a good job - not," said Schank, out in the  
truck. "I told him to wear a cape."

***

The woman looked at Nick, not sure. "I'm Courtney Morris."

"Nick Knight."

"Nick, you have to help me."

Nick frowned. "With?"

"I have this... admirer. We used to date, and we both liked those old  
horror movies - you know, the wolfman, that kind of thing. He was the  
Wolf God, and I the Wolf Goddess... but now... I think he's lost it.  
Either he thinks he really is a werewolf, or he's killing those people  
to get back at me for leaving him."

"So why the ad?"

"Because he's been watching me, and he killed my last two dates."

***

That checked out. Until then, the department hadn't been able to come up  
with any links between the victims. The only thing they had was that it  
was the same killer, making the killings look like the work of a, well,  
wolf. Schanke and the other cops were nodding to each other. This made  
sense.

***

"So what do you want with me?"

"The last time, I had just advertised for 'philosophical, sensitive'  
men. And you know what happened to them."

"So... you need a vampire to stop this guy? Why not just call the cops?"

"I did. He had an alibi."

***

That also checked out. So far, they had ruled out three suspects.  
Apparently they'd ruled out the guilty party, too.

***

"Maybe he didn't do it," said Nick.

"He did it, I *know* he did. It could only be him. Please, Nick, you  
have to help me."

"I still don't see why a vampire..."

"Because vampires can't die! They can fly, and... and..."

Nick smiled slightly. "Move really fast?"

"Yeah. After we leave here, he'll follow you home, then go back, set  
up his alibi, and then break into your place and try to kill you. I'm  
sure that's what he did last time!"

Nick remembered the woman's report now. At the time he'd dismissed  
her as just another girlfriend trying to get revenge on a man who'd  
dumped her. But why go to all this trouble, if that was the case?

He sighed. "What do you want me to do?" He'd know by her answer if  
she was just a woman scorned...

She handed him a card. "Here's my number. Now that you know, you can  
wait for him, and call the cops when he breaks in. Then it'll all be  
over." So she didn't want him to kill the guy. She was telling the truth.

Nick wondered how the woman knew about vampires, but now was not the  
time to ask. He nodded, got up. "All right."

***

As he left the club, Nick spoke into the mike. "I obviously can't go to  
the station... I'll go home."

Schanke must have agreed, because the surveillance truck didn't  
suddenly screech into sight.

***

Nick went home, making sure not to lock up as securely as he usually  
did. He knew the cops would be covering the area even now. All he had to  
do was wait for the perp to show up. In the meantime, Nick drank some  
dinner and put a CD on the stereo - not too loud, because otherwise it would  
obscure sounds on the wire. He sat down on the couch and sighed, picking up  
the latest novel that Natalie had given him. Anne Rice again. He'd only read  
the first two of her Vampire Chronicles, and didn't have the heart to tell  
Nat that some of the things in the novels made him uncomfortable.

He was only a few pages into the book when there was a slight noise at  
the door. At vampiric speed, Nick threw the book down and stood to the right  
of the door. It opened, and Nick heard... well, it sounded like someone  
trying to imitate a wolf, all right. The guy came into the room, still making the  
noises, and then only noticed that the room was empty, except for...

The man turned around, to find himself staring at an unassuming-looking  
man holding a... gun?

"Just take it easy," Nick said. "You're under arrest."

"The Goddess doesn't leave her master and live. And no one touches her,  
not even the undead!"

"I'm Detective Nick Knight, Metro Homicide, and I said you're under arrest."

The guy crouched in a very wolf-like position. "You will die, unholy  
creature that you are!" He really did look poised to spring.

"I wouldn't," bluffed Nick. "Silver bullets."

***

Out in the truck, Schanke nearly choked on his doughnut. "Silver bullets?  
Where does he come up with this stuff?" As he spoke, he could hear reports  
that Nick's backup had surrounded the warehouse.

***

"You're lying." The guy made the growling noise again, and Nick wondered,  
not for the first time, if he could get away with hissing at him, vampire  
fashion. Probably not. Damn.

Nick let his eyes change and his fangs emerge. "I think you know I'm not."

If he had expected that Wolfie would back off, he was very wrong. "I knew  
it! She seeks the damned for protection!" And he sprang at Nick...

***

... who moved out of the way (at vampiric speed, naturally) just as the  
uniformed police bashed the door in. The perp didn't seem to notice, he  
merely picked himself up off the floor and poised to spring again. He didn't  
even appear to hear the other cops yelling, "Police! Freeze!" as he jumped  
forward.

***

Two shots rang out then, and it was over. The wolf god lay on the floor, his  
blood spilling out into a pool below him.

Nick hadn't used his own gun, so he holstered it. The two cops who had shot  
the guy looked rather stunned, but immediately inquired if Nick was all right.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Nick was brushing the other cops off as even more  
cops and some emergency medical people poured into his private space.

The one cop who had shot the guy looked on nervously as the young medic  
checked for a pulse. "Is he dead?"

"Yeah."

The young cop started shaking. "I just killed someone!" Nick knew he  
would never experience that same horror. Death had been different on the  
Crusades, and something else entirely after he'd come over.

***

Schanke pushed his way in as the medics were taking the body out. "So he's  
not really a werewolf, huh?"

Nick pulled himself out of whatever century he'd been about to slip  
deeper into. "No. I think he believed he was, but he still attacked me..."

"Even though you told him about the silver bullets."

"Yeah."

"Maybe silver bullets don't really kill werewolves, and, I dunno, stakes  
don't really kill vampires!" Schanke said, warming to his subject a bit.

"A stake through the heart would kill anything," replied Nick, wondering  
where he'd gotten that from. Must have been from a movie Nat had made him  
watch.

Schanke nodded. "You have a point there." And he laughed. "Point! Ha!"

Nick sighed. It *had* been a long night. "Look, Schank, can you finish up  
here? I'm really tired, I think I'll go and walk for a bit, clear my head."

"Sure, no problem."

"And send someone to notify Courtney Morris that her wolf god won't be  
attacking her dates anymore."

Schanke grunted, and Nick left by the elevator.

***

"So, mon cher, was it a werewolf?" Janette asked after Nick explained some  
of the case.

"No, just a psycho." Nick downed the blood she had poured for him,  
thankful that although Janette didn't agree with his feeding habits, she at  
least respected them enough to get a little bit of cow's blood now and then.  
Besides, they did get a carouche type in *occasionally*... He looked at  
Janette suddenly, rethinking her question. "You mean there are such things  
as werewolves?"

Janette smiled. "No, Nicolas. But your face was quite amusing to see."

Nick smiled his little boy lost smile. "I almost thought..."

"I think we are just about all the world can handle," mused Janette.

"You got that right," Nick replied.

***

"Werewolves. Ghosts. Vampires. The world is a large and interesting place,  
my children..."

THE END


End file.
